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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24096952">In Vino Veritas</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aviss/pseuds/Aviss'>Aviss</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Getting Back Together, M/M, Post-Break Up, Tumblr Prompt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:20:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,504</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24096952</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aviss/pseuds/Aviss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kakashi doesn't like weddings, especially not the circuses some families believe are necessary. This one, though, might give him a chance to get back something important,</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>237</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In Vino Veritas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyxdaydream/gifts">ladyxdaydream</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Based on the short fic prompt "meeting at a terrible wedding" for Ladyxxdaydream, it's not as short as I intended and it definitely not humour, which is what I thought I write. I hope you like it anyway.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kakashi hated weddings, especially the big ones of the most renowned clans in Konoha where his presence wasn't so much wanted as mandatory. There was something performative in them, something fake that had nothing to do with love and everything to do with status, that always rubbed him the wrong way. </p><p>This one was one of the greatest examples of it; most of the people milling about the Hyuuga compound looked old and stiff, noses up in the air and mingling among other old and stiff people, ignoring the other guests as if they were below their notice. The other guests looked like they wished to be anywhere but there, and that included the bride and groom, who had never cared for anything but being together. </p><p>"You'll do it, right Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto had asked him the day after Hinata had accepted his proposal, an irrepressible grin on his face. "You can marry us, and then we can all go for ramen."</p><p>"Ramen is not your standard wedding fare," Kakashi had said with a laugh, though he had thought it was so like Naruto and Hinata didn't seem to mind, if the fond way she was looking at him as an indication. He had been happy for them, and honoured they wanted him to officiate.</p><p>Unfortunately, Naruto was marrying into the Hyuuga clan, and Hiashi had forced the big circus on them, though he didn't look as if he was enjoying it any more than them. Not that Hiashi ever looked like he was enjoying anything. </p><p>Kakashi had ended up officiating the ceremony as the Hokage, dressed in his stiff formal robes and hat which he had removed before he'd been ushered to a seat of honour in the high table next to the groom. He had protested that seat should have been given to someone else, someone who deserved to be next to Naruto at this moment but had been pushed aside because he wasn't of such noble blood.</p><p>Kakashi had seen him sitting with Naruto's friends, had been unable to keep his eyes off him wishing he could be down there as well. </p><p>As soon as he was able to politely extricate himself from all the people vying for his attention, Kakashi had made his way to the bar. At least there was a good bar in this thing, he knew the state of the old families cellars, and he had left his entourage behind, nobody would be foolish enough to attack him in a place full of Konoha's most skilled shinobi. He took a seat at the bar and ordered a jar of sake. </p><p>"Two cups, please," the voice he had been waiting for said next to him. "And better make it two jars." Kakashi smiled and turned to see Iruka sitting by his side, his formal robes making him look distinguished and as gorgeous as ever. "I see you still dislike weddings, Hokage-sama." Kakashi cringed at the address, he would never get used to it. "<em>Kakashi</em>," Iruka corrected himself, clearly reading his expression as he picked up the first jar of sake and filled their cups. </p><p>They touched them together in a silent toast for the newlyweds and drank. "This is not a wedding, it's a circus."</p><p>"That it is," Iruka agreed with a soft laugh, refilling their cups. "I never thought I'd see the day someone made an honest man of Naruto, though."</p><p>Kakashi chuckled. "It was hard to imagine when he was so obsessed with Sakura." Everyone had known it was futile then, everyone except Naruto.</p><p>"And Sasuke, he'd probably had more luck with Sasuke," Iruka added with a knowing look, Kakashi almost choked on his sake. He had also believed that, even when Sasuke was hell-bent on killing Naruto. </p><p>"It's a good thing he finally saw what was in front of his eyes. Hinata's perfect for him," Kakashi said, feeling the sake beginning to relax him. The alcohol or Iruka's presence, which he wouldn't admit to anyone, had always done wonders to center him.</p><p>"He looked smitten," Iruka said, a smile in his voice and a fond look in his eyes. </p><p>Naruto had looked smitten, he had also looked shocked that Hinata had gone through the marriage, and terrified when he looked at his father in law. He had looked so happy Kakashi had envied him for the first time. </p><p>"It's a good look on him."</p><p>"It is," Iruka agreed, refilling their cups with practised ease.</p><p>They drank in silence for a few minutes though it was the furthest from uncomfortable. It was a well-threaded one, warm and familiar and calming. It was companionable and it made Kakashi ache with nostalgia and longing. How many times they had shared jars of sake like this? It had been a long time since the last, and he realized how much he'd missed it. He risked a look at Iruka and saw the same wistful expression on his face he imagined he had on his. "Did you ever imagine yourself in his place?" Kakashi asked and immediately cursed himself for a fool. </p><p>That was opening a can of worms that was better left closed.</p><p>Iruka sighed and turned to him, a faraway look in his eyes. "Once, a long time ago. You?"</p><p>Kakashi thought of the ring that had been inside a drawer in the old Hatake house collecting dust for almost a decade. "Yes."</p><p>Iruka nodded and turned back to his cup. "You would have made a great husband for a very fortunate person." There was the same wistfulness in his voice that had been on his face, tinged with a note of bitterness. </p><p>"I almost proposed, once upon a time." He downed his glass and refilled it, using the last of the second jar and signalling for a third. He was feeling the effects of the drink, his tongue loosening, but he didn't mind. Not if it was with Iruka. </p><p>Iruka's eyes sharpened on him. "You did? To whom?" There was something in his voice, curiosity and sadness and maybe some jealousy. It was that what made Kakashi think, fuck it, and throw open the can.</p><p>"<em>To you</em>."</p><p>Iruka closed his eyes as if in pain and downed his glass, refilling it and downing it again.</p><p>"I would have said yes." It was Kakashi's turn to drink to ease the lump in his throat. "Do you remember why we broke up?" he finally asked, as if the sake had given him the courage he needed for the question. </p><p>"We had a fight." There had been raised voices and cold looks and recriminations but all Kakashi had now was a vague impression of them. He had a perfect recollection of their two years together, and he had clear memories of the pain that followed. </p><p>The fight, he didn't care what was about or who was right. He hadn't for a long time.</p><p>"What was it about?" Iruka asked, the puzzlement in his voice meant he couldn't remember or didn't care about it either. "Why was this one so bad we never recovered?"</p><p>"Nothing that's important anymore." The chuunin examinations. Iruka had been so angry with him for putting the kids forward, Kakashi had been furious with Iruka for questioning him in public in such a way. They had argued, and they had fought, and Kakashi had stormed out to get drunk with Gai and complain. But it wasn't supposed to be a breakup, they had just needed time to cool off. "War came, I couldn't risk you, so I chose not to come back until it was over. And then it was too late."</p><p>They had mourned their dead and they had slowly recovered, and when they came out of it over two years had passed. It had been too late to go back, hadn't it? They had rebuilt their friendship block by block, but Kakashi had always felt a sense of expectation, a sense of something missing. </p><p>He just didn't know how to get it back. </p><p>"Was it?" Iruka said, when he turned to Kakashi his eyes were clear and as sharp as always. He remembered Iruka had a legendary alcohol tolerance, how much he used to tease him because he always drank everyone under the table. "<em>Is it</em>?"</p><p>Of course he didn't need liquid courage, Iruka'd also always been the braver of the two of them. </p><p>Kakashi loved him for it, had never stopped. It wasn't a coincidence that both of them remained single, and not for lack of offers. Or that they always gravitated towards each other when they met around the village. </p><p>"No," he said, standing from his stool to face Iruka. "No, it's not."</p><p>Iruka smiled, not the wide grin everyone knew from him. It was a small quirk of his lips, sweet and tiny and one Kakashi had forgotten how much he loved because it was just for him, just their secret one. </p><p>He needed to taste it again, he pulled down his mask uncaring of the people around them, and did just that. </p><p>...</p>
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